Carnegie Mellon University acceptance rate, scores and deadlines

Pittsburgh, PA · private · 7,304 undergraduates

Acceptance rate 11.1% Fall 2025 · ↓0.6 pts
SAT, middle 50% 1500–1560 Enrolled, Fall 2025
Tests, 2026–27 Test-flexible From the admissions site

Source: Common Data Set 2025–26 · deadlines from Carnegie Mellon's admissions site.

Chances at Carnegie Mellon
1500
unweighted, 4.0 scale —
Your odds · Regular decision Reach
2.6–9.3%
  • Your SAT 1500 is inside the middle 50% of enrolled students (1500–1560).
  • Carnegie Mellon admits 11.1% of applicants overall.
  • Under 15% admitted: a reach for every applicant.

Data: Common Data Set 2025–26 · Test-flexible for 2026–27

An estimate, not a guarantee. Save to my list

Acceptance rate

Carnegie Mellon acceptance rate by year

3,859 of 34,867 applicants admitted for Fall 2025, against 11.7% for Fall 2024.

0% 10% 20% 30% 201520172019202120232025 11.1%
Show the numbers
Entering classAppliedAdmittedRateSource
Fall 202534,8673,85911.1%Common Data Set
Fall 202433,9413,95911.7%IPEDS
Fall 202333,7073,84311.4%IPEDS
Fall 202234,2613,87311.3%IPEDS
Fall 202132,8964,45313.5%IPEDS
Fall 202026,1894,52417.3%IPEDS
Fall 201927,6344,26715.4%IPEDS
Fall 201824,3514,17017.1%IPEDS
Fall 201720,4974,55022.2%IPEDS
Fall 201621,1894,60121.7%IPEDS
Fall 201520,5474,87323.7%IPEDS

2026–27 applications

Carnegie Mellon deadlines for 2026–27

Apply with Common App. Checked October 24, 2026 on Carnegie Mellon's admissions site. Dates can change; confirm them there before you submit.

  1. Early decision Apply by Decisions By December 15
  2. Regular decision Apply by Decisions No later than April 1
Every 2026–27 deadline, in date order

Early rounds

Early decision and early action at Carnegie Mellon

Early decision 20.6% 553 of 2,680 · Fall 2025
Overall 11.1% All applicants · Fall 2025

Early pools include recruited athletes and other special cases, so the gap overstates the boost for a typical applicant. Early decision is binding: apply only if you would enroll.

Scores and GPA

Test scores and GPA at Carnegie Mellon

Scores are for enrolled students who sent them, not for everyone admitted.

SAT, middle 50% 1500–1560
40065.5% sent a score1600
ACT, middle 50% 34–36
1Enrolled, Fall 202536
Average high school GPA 3.89
As reported, 99.7% reported a GPA
High school GPA of enrolled first-years (Fall 2025)
  • 4.043.9%
  • 3.75–3.9941.7%
  • 3.50–3.7410.9%
  • 3.25–3.492.2%
  • 3.00–3.241.0%
  • 2.50–2.990.3%

What counts

What Carnegie Mellon weighs

From section C7 of Carnegie Mellon's Common Data Set 2025–26.

Very important

  • Course rigor
  • Class rank
  • GPA
  • Activities
  • Character
  • Volunteer work

Important

  • Essays
  • Recommendations
  • Talent or ability
  • First-generation status

Considered

  • Test scores
  • Where you live
  • Work experience

Not considered

  • Interview
  • Alumni relation
  • State residency
  • Religious affiliation
  • Demonstrated interest

Waitlist

Carnegie Mellon waitlist

7,117 students were offered a place on the waitlist for Fall 2025, 4,937 accepted it, and 36 were admitted from it (0.7% of those who stayed on).

Cost

What Carnegie Mellon costs

From the College Scorecard. For your own estimate, use Carnegie Mellon's net price calculator.

Tuition$68,776
Per year
Average net price$35,780
After grants, aided students
Open Carnegie Mellon's net price calculator

Compare

Colleges with a similar acceptance rate

Close to Carnegie Mellon's 11.1%, from the same official data.

FAQ

Questions about Carnegie Mellon admissions

What is Carnegie Mellon's acceptance rate?

Carnegie Mellon admitted 3,859 of 34,867 first-year applicants for Fall 2025, an acceptance rate of 11.1%. That is down from 11.7% for Fall 2024. Source: Common Data Set 2025–26.

Is Carnegie Mellon test-optional for 2026–27?

Carnegie Mellon is test-flexible for 2026–27: you can send SAT or ACT scores, or other exam scores it accepts.

When are Carnegie Mellon's application deadlines for 2026–27?

Early decision: November 2, 2026; Regular decision: January 4, 2027. Check Carnegie Mellon's admissions site before you apply, as dates can change.

What SAT score do you need for Carnegie Mellon?

There is no cutoff. The middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1500–1560 on the SAT (Fall 2025), and 65.5% of them sent a score. A score at or above 1560 is in the top quarter of enrolled students.

Does applying early decision help at Carnegie Mellon?

For Fall 2025, Carnegie Mellon admitted 20.6% of 2,680 early decision applicants, compared with 11.1% overall. Early pools include recruited athletes and other special cases, so the gap overstates the boost for a typical applicant.

Where the numbers come from

Sources

Odds are estimates from public data, shown as a range. An estimate, not a guarantee.

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